Rovings are intended for many uses. As far as composite materials are concerned, rovings constitute the reinforcement used in plastics. Methods for using glass fibre rovings are very varied. Among these methods, mention may be made of:
A—Weaving and other methods using textile machinery, leading to flat woven or nonwoven reinforcements.
The fabrics and other heavy reinforcements based on rovings (about 1000 g/m2 or greater) are used above all for the manufacture of composite components which may be very highly mechanically stressed. They find an application in parts used in static applications, such as panels for isothermal box bodies of refrigerated trucks, or alternatively in parts used in dynamic applications such as the blades of wind machines which experience high vibrational oscillations.
B—Pultrusion which consists in impregnating a reinforcement of continuous yarns with resin then in forming it by pulling it through a heated mould (die) which cures the profiled structure thus produced. This method allows for the manufacture of oblong reinforcing products, such as strips or elements for producing gratings.
C—Thermoplastic extrusion which consists in manufacturing thermoplastic granules containing so-called long fibres, the continuous fibres being introduced into an extruder and coated with the plastic on leaving the extruder to be cut into granules. This method makes it possible to obtain reinforced parts for building motor cars.
D—Filament winding which consists in winding a resin-impregnated continuous-fibre reinforcement under constant tension onto a rotating mandrel of appropriate shape so as, after curing, to form a hollow body of revolution such as a pipe.